Seat cushion construction



Jan. 14, 194-1. I R w T 2,228376 SEAT CUSHION CONSTRUCTION Filed Dec. 1, 1957 11v VENTOR Edward 7?. flz'zzel A T T ORNE Y6.

Patented Jan. 14, 1941 UNITED STATES P'iE'i FFICE SEAT CUSHION CONSTRUCTION Application December 1, 1937, Serial No. 177,579

9 Claims.

This invention relates to cushion constructions. More particularly it relates to a specific form of frame construction primarily adapted for use as the base frame in a seat cushion primarily adapted for use in automotive vehicles.

It is a primary object of the present inven tion to provide a base frame for automotive seat cushions which is so constructed and arranged that a particularly novel and unique means is provided for resiliently mounting the lower ends of a plurality of helical coil springs which make up the cushion construction as a whole.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide a base frame construction for cushions of this general character in which the base frame is provided with means for mounting the lower ends of the coil springs in slightly spaced rela tion to the surface on which the cushion is disposed and which base frame also includes convenient means for removably mounting the marginal edge of the finish fabric which provides the exterior covering for the cushion structure.

The present invention further contemplates the provision of a base frame construction formed of a single integral sheet metal strip which is provided with a pair of channels therein. One of these channels is adapted to receive the spring members making up the cushion construction and the other of the channels is adapted to receive the hem of the fabric finish material. Suitable up-struck lugs are provided in the body portion strip which may be utilized, if desired, for the purpose of securing the marginal edge of a secondary cover strip or backing sheet such as is customarily associated with the fabric finish material.

Many other and further objects, advantages and features of the present invention will become clearly apparent from the following specification when considered in connection with the accompanying drawing forming a part thereof.

In the drawing: a

Figure 1 is a perspective view of an automobile seat cushion with portions of the finish material broken away to illustrate one embodiment of the present invention;

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary, sectional view of one corner of a cushion construction illustrating the base frame and means for mounting the springs and showing the improvements of the present invention;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged fragmentary, transverse, sectional View taken substantially on the line 3-3 of Fig. 2 illustrating in detail .the manner in which the springs are mountedin the base frame and the manner in which the fabric covering material is removably mounted thereon;

Fig. 4 is an enlarged, sectional View taken substantially on the line ll of Fig. 2 showing in detail the cross-sectional configuration of the 7 improved base frame construction;

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary plan view of a modified form of base frame construction made up of a plurality of sheet metal strips illustrating the construction at the corner thereof.

With more particular reference to the drawing it will be appreciated that the cushion construction of the present invention embodies a number of features common to conventional cushion constructions as now manufactured. The specific form of the invention illustrated includes a base frame generally designated as 5 which serves to provide means for mounting a plurality of helical coil springs l which are preferably of the hour glass type. As is conventional these springs are; arranged in a plurality of rows and together serve to support an upper structure constituting a resilient surface for the cushion construction as a whole. A suitable layer of padding as is conventional is disposed over the upper surface of thev springs and a section of covering serves to envelope not only the top of the cushion but the four lateral sides thereof. This cover section is preferably formed of a section of fabric finish material 8 and a woven backing sheet of fabric material 9 between which sheets is disposed a substantially congruent section of non-woven fibrous padding material. The two sections of fabric material B and 9 are carried downwardly on all four sides of the cushion and secured to the base frame in the manner hereinafter described in detail in order to firmly secure this cover panel in position with respect to the cushion construction as a whole. The base frame preferably is formed of a strip of sheet metal ill of rolled section which is bent to substantially rectangular form. One marginal edge of the frame member is bent upon itself to provide an inwardly presenting channel H adaptedto mount the springs in the frame as will hereinafter be more clearly seen and the: opposite marginal edge is bent upon itself to provide acontinuous recess or channel. l2, the opening of which is substantially less than the interior width thereof. The base frame is preferably cut away to provide notches is which permit the bending of the frame at the corners in order that the strip of rolled section may be bent to substantially rectangular form of asize defining the lower frame-of the cushion. The strip preferably has its ends secured. together in order.

the fabric finish material.

that a relatively strong, rigid, unitary rectangular framework will be formed. It has been found preferable to provide the strip of rolled section of such configuration that after the formation of the rectangular base frame therefrom the channel l2 will lie in a plane substantially lower than the plane in which the spring receiving channel I I is disposed and thus provide a supporting mem her for the spring construction substantially below the plane in which the lower ends of the coil springs I are mounted.

The row of coil springs along the end of the frame have a portion of their lowermost convolutions crimped into the channel H of the base frame In to lock the same firmly in position. The opposite sides of each of these spring members is preferably locked in a U-shaped sheet metal channel member I5 which extends transversely across the frame and at uniform intervals is crimped to the adjacent spring members. Each of the rows of springs in the central portion of the cushion may be provided with sheet metal channel members it secured to opposite sides thereof in order to lock each row of springs in unitary assembled relation with respect to each other and it will be seen that the end spring in each of these rows is seated in the channel l2 of the base frame and locked therein by crimping the channel around the lowermost convolution of the spring.

It will be seen by reference to Fig. 2 of the drawing that the sheet metal channel members 15 and I6 each terminate short of the base frame it! and are connected therewith only through the medium of the spring member which is directly secured to the base frame. The base frame is provided with a plurality of notches II which interrupt the channel or recess it at various points throughout its length and thus materially add to the flexibility of the marginal edge of the base frame is. The fabric finish material 8 is hemmed at its marginal edge and in the tunnel provided by this hem is disposed a metallic garter spring it which extends continuously around the marginal edge of This garter spring is of such diameter that it may be forced into the channel l2 of the base frame and the inherent resiliency of the spring and the sheet metal making up this channel will serve to retain the marginal edge of the fabric finish material locked in position with respect to the base frame. The base frame in its body portion is provided with a plurality of up-struck lugs 20 which lugs are preferably pointed and extend downwardly on the lower side of the base frame. It will be seen that'the marginal edge of the backing sheet may be impaled upon these lugs or projections, thus firmly locking the edge of this material in position with respect to the base frame.

It will be clear that the interlocks provided for the marginal edge of the backing sheet and the marginal edge of the fabric finish material makes for convenient removal and easy assembly with respect to the base frame. Further it will be clear that while the base frame is extremely simple in construction it provides convenient means for not only removably mounting both the sections of fabric material which make up the cover for the cushion construction, but also provides easy and convenient means for mounting the lower ends of the helical coil springs I which serve to resiliently support the surface construction of the cushion as a whole, and serves to maintain the lower ends of these springs in slightly spaced relation with respect to the surface on which the cushion is disposed.

In Fig. 5 is illustrated a slightly modified form of the present invention in which the base frame construction is made up of a plurality of strips of rolled section, two of which are shown in this figure. In this form of the invention the base frame at one corner thereof includes a strip of sheet metal of rolled section 22 which is joined to a similar strip of rolled section 23 by means of a reinforcing angle iron 24 welded to the two strips. Each of the strips is provided with up-struck lugs 25 for securement of the inner fabric backing sheet as described above and each is provided with a spring receiving channel 26 and a fabric finish material receiving channel 21. The construction of the base frame in this modified form of the invention is substantially similar to that described above in connection with the preferred embodiment of the invention and it will be readily appreciated that this structure has substantially the same inherent advantages discussed above, but obviates the necessity of performing the difficult bending operation at the corner of the frame.

It will be appreciated that the above discussed forms of the invention are merely illustrative of the generic inventive concept presented herein and many other and further modifications thereof falling Within the scope of the invention as defined in the sub-joined claims will be clearly apparent to those skilled in the art.

What I claim is:

1. In a cushion construction, a base frame formed solely of sheet metal, a fabric backing material, tongues on said base frame for removably securing the edges of said fabric backing material, a fabric finish material, and a channel independent of said tongues for removably securing the edge of said fabric finish material.

2. In a cushion construction, a sheet metal base frame preformed to provide a channel for securing the lower ends of a plurality of coil springs in the plane of said channel, tongues projecting from said base frame below said channel for detachably mounting the edge of a fabric backing sheet, and a channel also formed on said base frame presenting toward said first channel below said tongues for removably securing a fabric finish sheet.

3. In a cushion construction, a sheet metal base frame extending around the base of said cushion, a pair of channels in said base frame presenting toward each other, coil springs locked in one of said channels, a section of fabric finish material having its marginal edge drawn over the web of said first channel and secured in the other of said channels.

4. In a cushion construction, a sheet metal base frame extending around the base of said cushion, a pair of channels in said base frame presenting toward each other, a coil spring for said cushion locked in one of said channels, a section of backing material covering said spring, means between said channels for anchoring said backing material, a section of fabric material for covering said cushion, and means in the marginal edge of said fabric material for removably locking the same in the other of said channels.

5. In a cushion construction, a sheet metal base frame extending around the base of said cushion, said base frame being preformed to provide a channel therein, a section of fabric finish material for covering said cushion, said fabric finish material being hemmed in its marginal edge, a garter spring disposed in said hem and serving to provide means for removably retaining the hemmed edge of said material in said channel, said channel being interrupted at spaced points throughout its length to facilitate removal of said hemmed edge therefrom.

6. In a cushion construction, a base frame formed of sheet metal and adapted to extend around the base of said cushion, a plurality of upstruck lugs in said base frame adapted to removably retain the marginal edge of a section of fabric backing material, said base frame being bent to provide a pair of channels presenting toward'each other, springs clamped in one of said channels, a section of fabric finish material, and means in the edge of said fabric finish material adapted to removably retain the same within said other channel.

'7. In a cushion construction, a base frame upon itself to provide a channel therein, a section of fabric finish material hemmed in its edge, and a garter spring disposed within said hem whereby to removably lock the marginal edge of said fabric finish material in the channel of said base frame.

8. In a cushion construction, a base frame formed of sheet metal and having an inwardly presented channel in the outer edge thereof, coil springs locked in said channel, said base frame sloping downwardly and inwardly and reversely bent to form a channel presenting toward said first channel.

9. In a cushion construction, a base frame formed of sheet metal and having an inwardly presented channel in the outer edge thereof, coil springs locked in said channel, said base frame sloping downwardly and inwardly and reversely bent to form a channel presenting toward said first channel, and cover material drawn over the web of said first channel and locked in said second channel.

EDWARD R. WEITZEL. 

